Consumption, Population, and Sustainability

by Chapman, Audrey R.; Petersen, Rodney L.; Smith-Moran, Barbara

• ISBN13: 9781559637480
• ISBN10: 155963748X
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-12-01
• Publisher: Island Pr

Summary

The combined contributions of science and religion to resolving environmental problems are far greater than each could offer working in isolation. Scientific findings are central to understanding the impact of human populations on the environment, but a more ecologically sustainable future will require radical changes in values, lifestyle choices, and consumption patterns -- a revolution that falls squarely within the domain of the religious community.Consumption, Population, and Sustainabilityis an outgrowth of a conference sponsored jointly by the Boston Theological Institute and the American Association for the Advancement of Science that brought together more than 250 scientists and people of religious faith to discuss the environmental impact of consumption patterns and population trends, and to consider alternative and more equitable value systems, economic arrangements, and technologies that will be necessary for achieving a more sustainable future. The book: provides a brief history of the dialogue between science and religion on environmental issues outlines potential contributions of the religious community to the debate about global sustainability offers a science-based assessment of issues such as carrying capacity, sustainability indicators, and the environmental impacts of consumer-based lifestyles considers religious and theological perspectives on consumption and population from a variety of viewpoints including Roman Catholic, Jewish, Greek Orthodox, and Islamic examines the ethical and policy dimensions of reorienting today's consumer society to one more focused on values, spiritual growth, and relationships.Both the scientific and religious communities can make important contributions to understanding and responding to the impact of population growth and consumption patterns on environmental sustainability. This volume represents a significant step in establishing an ongoing dialogue between the communities, and provides a thought-provoking overview of the issues for scientists, theologians, and anyone concerned with the future of global sustainability.

Author Biography

Audrey R. Chapman is director of the Program of Dialogue Between Science and Religion at the American Association for the Advancement of Science in Washington, D.C. Rodney L. Petersen is executive director of the Boston Theological Institute. Barbara Smith-Moran, S.O.Sc., is director of the Faith and Science Exchange, a program affiliate of the Boston Theological Institute.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
Part I. Introduction	1	(36)
Science, Religion, and the Environment	3	(20)
Audrey R. Chapman
Perspectives on Sustainability	23	(14)
Ian G. Barbour
Part II. Science	37	(72)
Overview of Scientific Perspectives	39	(10)
Audrey R. Chapman
World Population Projections to 2150, U. N. Population Division	49	(6)
Population Growth and Earth's Human Carrying Capacity	55	(16)
Joel E. Cohen
Revisiting Carrying Capacity: Area-Based Indicators of Sustainability	71	(26)
William E. Rees
U. S. Consumption and the Environment	97	(12)
Michael Brower
Warren Leon
Part III. Religion and Theology	109	(82)
Overview of Religious Perspectives	111	(10)
Audrey R. Chapman
World Religions and the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development, United Nations	121	(10)
A Catholic Perspective	131	(6)
David M. Byers
Foundations for a Jewish Ethic Regarding Consumption	137	(10)
Michal Fox Smart
A Greek Orthodox Perspective	147	(10)
Emmanuel Clapsis
An Islamic Perspective	157	(10)
Abdul Cader Asmal
Mohammed Asmal
Toward the Revival and Reform of the Subversive Virtue: Frugality	167	(24)
James A. Nash
Part IV. Ethics and Public Policy	191	(108)
Overview of Perspectives on Ethics and Public Policy	193	(8)
Audrey R. Chapman
Report of the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development, United Nations	201	(6)
Consumption and Well-Being	207	(12)
David A. Crocker
Population, Consumption, and Eco-Justice: A Moral Assessment of the 1994 United Nations International Conference on Population and Development	219	(26)
James B. Martin-Schramm
The Transition to a Transition	245	(22)
Neva R. Goodwin
Christian Responses to Coercion in Population Regulation	267	(24)
Susan Power Bratton
To Protect the Whole of Creation	291	(8)
Bruce Babbitt
Part V. Conclusions	299	(36)
Earth Literacy for Theology	301	(8)
Mary Evelyn Tucker
Envisioning Equity in Consumption, Population, and Sustainability	309	(26)
Rodney L. Petersen
About the Contributors	335	(2)
Index	337